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bookinitwithahtiya's reviews
1955 reviews
Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala
4.0
The latest installment in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series, Guilt and Ginataan does a superb job balancing mystery, character, and humor. The stakes in the investigation were realistic and we get straight to the mystery after the murder is discovered. This cozy mystery boasts excellent character development in Lila that builds on the work done in previous books and expands on her relationships with her friends/business partners, and I appreciated just how much of the dynamic between Lila and her besties that we get.
Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi
4.0
Sangoyomi’s debut Masquerade is an engaging historical fiction full of rich political intrigue and shifting alliances. Deeply feminist and empowering, this Masquerade is a strong debut that shows a deep love of history, culture, and character-based storytelling that praises the beauty in women friendships and alliances in societies dominated by patriarchal restrictions.
Rules for Rule Breaking by Talia Tucker
4.25
Rules for Rule Breaking is a hilarious and laugh-out-loud good time. We get a distinct pair of protagonists whose characters are strongly painted in the first few chapters, and we get to see them mature as the story develops. I absolutely LOVED Winter; her humor is caustic, biting, and finely-tuned. Looking forward to more from Talia Tucker.
Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi
3.75
Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi, the prequel to their beloved work Pet, is a searing and relatable look at revolution, terror and anxiety mistaken for complacency, and the power of community and love. Bitter interrogates the structure of revolutions and the different roles we can all play in our collective liberation. The middle of the book felt a bit dry, but it quickly packed up within 50 pages and then it was full-speed ahead until the end. Bitter calls into question the price of birthing a new world and what that may have to look like when the time comes.